Integrity Buddy

Suggested Grade Level

Suggested Values

Suggested Subject Matter

K

Integrity

Other

Objectives
Students will:
• Deepen their understanding around the core value integrity.
• Use integrity in an ongoing project that will let each student choose individual integrity.
• Reflect on their experience of integrity and share with the class

Category: Kindergarten

Core Value Focus: Integrity

Introductory Activity:Teacher: We are going to have a new member join our class starting today, and this new member will be in our class for the
rest of the year. This is our new member! (New member will be stuffed animal/puppet, etc. For example, you could have a
Teddy Bear named Blue) ‘Blue’ is our new member, and during the week s/he will be with us in our classroom. But on the
weekends ‘Blue’ will be visiting each of our homes so we can show him/her what we do outside of our classroom. We need
to remember that since ‘Blue’ is a member of our class, even when s/he goes home with us, we still need to make sure we are
going to treat ‘Blue’ with the same respect that the rest of our class would, even when the rest of the class is not there. We
have a Core Value Medal which is called Integrity. Integrity is when we choose to do the right thing and choose to be true
to ourselves even if nobody else knows. This can be if we choose to tell the truth even when someone won’t know the
difference, making choices that are true to ourselves, and choosing to use responsibility even when there aren’t other people
around. When you take ‘Blue’ home the rest of the class won’t be around, but we are all putting our trust in you to treat
‘Blue’ very well when he is a guest in your home.

Integrity Game: have students play a game like “Before or after: where they lift up one of two cards an 18 or a 4 to show if
which number comes before or after a given number.” Then tally many times they get the correct answer. Count how many
people got the correct answer and discuss how being honest about knowing the answer shows integrity.

Small Group Activity: Taking Buddy Home
Each Friday a student will be chosen to take your class buddy home with them for the weekend. Teacher can remind the
student “Remember that when you take ‘Blue’ home with you, the class is trusting you to use your Core Value of Integrity to
treat ‘Blue’ as well at home as you would in the classroom. Optional participation is that the rest of the class could say
“We trust you to use Integrity with our buddy this weekend” and could possibly affirm the student of the weekend on Monday by
saying “Thank you for your Integrity!” Along with the buddy comes the responsibility to complete a checklist of activities to
do with ‘Blue.’ Please see attached sample checklist. Teacher may revise as needed to fit needs of their class.

Small Group Activity: Share Your Buddy’s Weekend
On Monday the student of the weekend brings the buddy back to the classroom. The student will share what they did with the
class buddy that weekend (could be in story format, written in a class book, or possibly share pictures of them with the buddy
at home). When the class buddy is returned to its spot in the classroom the teacher can say “remember that integrity is doing
the right thing when there is nobody else around. You showed integrity when you brought ‘Blue’ home and treated him/her
well even though the class was not there. Let’s put a heart on our Integrity Core Value poster.” The student of the weekend
can put the heart on the poster, and the class can affirm what the student of the week chose to do with integrity.

Concluding Activity: Discussion and place heart on class integrity medal
Student of the weekend shares about their weekend and then says “I am ready for questions and comments.” Allow time for
questions and comments.

Student of the weekend: “I showed integrity by taking care of our class buddy.” He/she places a heart on the class medal.

Extended Activities: Discussion and class definition of integrity
- Create a circle map or written definition as a class of the core value integrity to add to the medal displayed in the classroom
- Create a class book with a drawing, reflection, or photograph of each student with the class buddy